1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a barrier system, and more particularly to a barrier system specifically configured and adapted to be easily transported and quickly assembled at a remote location when needed.
2. Related Art
It is readily understood that weather conditions are unpredictable. Along these lines, the sprawl of developed land has led to a general increase in terrains that are subject to undesirable and unpredictable weather conditions, such as flooding, mudslides and erosion. For instance, high-yield crop lands, residential and commercial structures, roadways, railways, and other forms of commercial development located adjacent bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, oceans, etc., are susceptible to flooding, which can potentially cause massive material damage and also create potentially life-threatening situations.
Land developers have identified particular areas which are more prone to flooding, and in some instances, have erected or constructed permanent earth dikes or levees. Indeed, there are an estimated 14,000 miles of levees owned and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an estimated 85,000 miles of privately-owned and operated levees. However, in certain circumstances, such dikes or levees may fail for a variety of reasons, some of which are not weather related. Along these lines, most dikes and levees are more than 50 years old, and many were built in agricultural areas, which are not located in urban areas. Breaches in levees can cause severe flooding, leading to catastrophic disaster. When levees are breached, time tends to be a critical factor in evacuations, emergency response, repairs and protecting nearby infrastructures. A rapid repair system for providing temporary, quick fixes to levee breaches in hours rather than days can significantly assist in reducing the loss of life and property damage.
In the event of flooding, mudslides, erosion, etc., whether caused by unexpected weather conditions, or a failure of a dike or levee, it is well known to utilize a plurality of sandbags to construct a temporary barrier. Conventional sandbags generally include a sack formed of burlap or polypropylene, which is then filed with sand or soil. The sandbags may be stacked or placed at the site of the needed barrier in response to changing weather conditions, or in anticipation of certain climatic events.
Although sandbags provide certain benefits associated with constructing a temporary barrier, the use of sandbags also suffers from several deficiencies. On particular deficiency associated with sandbags is that the sandbags require sand or soil to be filled. In this respect, if one does not have access to sand or soil where the sandbags are to be filled, it may be difficult or impossible to use sandbags for constructing a barrier. Another problem readily associated with sandbags is that they typically require that the sandbag is filled prior to being stacked as part of the barrier. As such, considerable effort may be required to lift and move the filled sandbag for purposes of stacking the sandbag within the barrier.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an easily deployable barrier system that is not solely dependent on readily available soil or sand. Various aspects of the present invention are directed toward addressing these needs, as will be discussed in more detail below.